With numerous challenges over the past several years for producers, we at Mercer Landmark understand the need for a comprehensive risk management solution. We seek to provide our customers with unparalleled service to ensure maximum results.

Wheat development stages this spring are ahead of normal timing, with the flag leaf emerged or already out in some areas. Most growers have all the nitrogen on and the chemical spray on also for weeds. Some areas of our geography we had to put on a fungicide and insecticide for powdery mildew and aphids. With the flag leaf emerged, we have to make sure it stays clean from diseases. Some growers question on how much they should spend on wheat. What it comes down to is protecting yield which pays for all the inputs that you put into the crop. The way the wheat stands look this year, we could see very good yields, weather permitting. The next thing we need to do is spray a fungicide at heading to protect the wheat seeds from head scab. Head scab effects the quality of the wheat seeds and test weight. This treatment reduces the level of toxins in the wheat seeds, so when you deliver your wheat to the elevator the dockage is not so much. Also the fungicide treatment at heading increases yield. Wheat use to be a crop that we planted so we could ditch, haul manure and bale straw. We found out that if we treat wheat like a cash crop, it does yield very well.